Vehicles, such as diesel-electric locomotives, may be configured with truck assemblies including two trucks per assembly, and three axles per truck. The three axles may include at least one powered axle and at least one non-powered axle. The axles may be mounted to the truck via lift mechanisms (such as, suspension assemblies including one or more springs) for adjusting a distribution of locomotive weight (including a locomotive body weight and a locomotive truck weight) between the axles. Weight distribution among the powered and non-powered axles may be performed statically and/or dynamically by adjusting a lift command. Under some operating conditions, while the commanded lift may be technically achievable, it may however adversely affect the locomotive or rail or other infrastructure. For example, a lift commanded in the presence of vehicle friction braking may lead to increased stress on locomotive components such as the brake linkage or the wheels and axles, thereby reducing the useful life of the components and reducing the performance of the system. Similarly, a lift commanded in response to wheel slip but before an effective locomotive sanding operation may be unnecessary. As such, this may lead to potential issues arising from the additional stress generated on the slipping axle, slipping wheel, and lift mechanism components.